Thames Presidency Marked by Commitment to Efficiency, Results  With Focus on Student Achievement

Hattiesburg, Miss. - With the same determination used to create the University of Southern Mississippis acclaimed polymer science program, Dr. Shelby F. Thames has worked to leave his alma mater better than when he began as its president.

Declaring the success of its students as the universitys primary obligation, Thames began his presidency in May 2002 with an eye toward making Southern Miss more efficient and results-oriented to meet that goal. Five years later, the hallmarks of his personal philosophy - hard work and innovation mark the legacy of his administration of the university. 

Milestones

That legacy includes last years important milestone in the universitys history a record-breaking total for external funding, as Southern Miss surpassed the $100 million mark. The effort of our faculty to secure external research dollars to support our educational enterprise is impressive, and defines the culture of academic excellence at Southern Miss, Thames said.

Thames also streamlined the universitys academic structures, reorganizing its then nine colleges into five to provide more resources for academic programming. He also focused on the universitys role as a major actor on the economic development stage, promoting the universitys intellectual capital its research as being as viable in the business world as the academic world. 

Over the past year, efforts to enhance that process of bringing university research into the marketplace has been taking shape through development of the universitys 521-acre Innovation and Commercialization Park in Hattiesburg. On May 14, Dr. Thames, along with Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) and other public officials ceremonially broke ground for the $22 million National Formulation Science Building, the first to be built at the park. 

Once completed, the building will house laboratories, offices and open space for joint university and industry projects that turn research into marketable products. Construction is also ongoing on the Trent Lott National Center for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship, the future home of the universitys economic and workforce development programs.

Thames also points with pride to the increased funding for Presidential Scholarships, allowing Southern Miss to attract more high-achieving students to take part in academic programming through the universitys renowned Honors College. This year, the university will welcome at least 49 presidential scholars, another record for Southern Miss. These students are attracted by the universitys myriad quality programs and its renowned Honors College curricula.

Additionally, last year, Southern Miss was recognized scholastically as having one of the top athletic programs in the nation, with a 92 percent graduation rate for student-athletes who participate in the universitys Div. 1 football program.

Im proud of our great university, the depth of our academic tradition and very proud of the students we serve, he said.

In the face of disaster, a leader

Thames describes Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster in modern U.S. history, as the biggest challenge of his professional career. One hundred-plus mile per hour winds tore through the Gulf South on Aug. 29, 2005, heavily damaging the Southern Miss Gulf Coast campus in Long Beach and the universitys other teaching sites on the coast, as well as inflicting damage to the Hattiesburg campus. In all, the university suffered approximately $200 million in losses and a revenue shortfall of $9 million.

Undaunted by these challenges facing the university, Thames sought to reassure Southern Miss employees that they would not lose their jobs because of the financial impact of the disaster, and went to work to get the university back in operation.

Even though they may have lost everything in the storm, I was determined that they could count on their jobs at Southern Miss being secure, Thames said in looking back on the days following the disaster.

Through Thames leadership of the universitys faculty, staff and students who shared his desire to rebound from the disaster, Southern Miss resumed the fall 2005 semester in Hattiesburg on Sept. 12. And miraculously, on Oct. 10, Southern Miss Gulf Coast was back in business after the heavily damaged Long Beach campus operation was moved to Gulfport, the only Gulf Coast-area university that undertook such an effort following Katrina. 

Southern Miss President Emeritus Dr. Aubrey Lucas praised his longtime friend and colleague for his response to the disaster. We shall always remember with gratitude Dr. Thames timely actions after Hurricane Katrina, which gave assurance to our colleagues on the Gulf Coast that they would have jobs, and which reopened those campuses with unbelievable speed, he said.

Since then, the university has made steady progress toward recovery across the Gulf Coast. Without his leadership, we could not have overcome the obstacles in our way to recovery, said Southern Miss Associate Gulf Coast Provost Dr. Pat Joachim.

Eye to the future

With Southern Miss approaching its 100^th anniversary, Dr. Thames called for the creation of a master campus and facility plan to address the universitys strategic development needs for the next two decades and beyond. He sought input from a broad number of Southern Miss constituent groups, including groups at the university as well as alumni and local community leaders, for review of proposals and to help finalize the master campus plan.

Completing the first comprehensive master plan for the Hattiesburg campus over the past year was a remarkable collaborative effort, led by Dr. Thames, said Sid Gonsoulin, associate vice president for student affairs, who headed the committee. With his leadership and drive, he has left a monumental planning document that will guide our success for years to come.

As he returns to continue his internationally-recognized polymer science research in the building bearing his name, Thames wish for his legacy is that he be remembered as having made a difference for the university he holds dear.

Im truly humbled to have had this opportunity to serve my university, a place I hold sacred, Thames said. Im excited about the direction that we are heading because of the continued success of our faculty, staff and students. Our future is indeed bright.

Photo Cutline:

University of Southern Mississippi President Shelby Thames and his wife, Shirley, pose in front of his official university portrait painted by Mississippi artist Marshall Bouldin of Clarksdale. The portrait was officially presented to Dr. Thames during a recent dinner in his honor and hangs in the campus polymer science building bearing his name. Thames officially concludes his five-year term as president of Southern Miss on May 20. (Southern Miss Photo by Steve Rouse).